How do I highway merge when my 2015 Prius C takes 11-12 seconds to even get to 50 mph?

not sure if it has been mentioned, but do you know the service history? maybe it just needs some new air filters, oil change, tires pressure checked.

 

ouch.

 

In Georgia, the law for merging is, the driver coming onto the highway must accelerate to the flow of traffic (even if this means speeding) and merge seamlessly.

On the drivers exam, they asked the question:
"If traffic on the highway is flowing at 70 mph in a 60 mph zone, what speed should you accelerate to in order to merge seamlessly?"
The multiple choice options were:
55 mph
60 mph
65 mph
70 mph

If you answered anything other than 70 mph, you were wrong... at least per the test at Georgia state law.

Also, our book says that just because it's nice to move over for incoming ramp traffic, it's not necessary. It is the responsibility of the incoming traffic to yield and merge into traffic.

I'll see if I can find my drivers book that I picked up at my last license update... sitting in the DMV for hours gives you time to read these things.

 

But her times do not sound like they are right. I can floor it an uphill and still get up to speed on most on-ramps. Granted, those Cali hills are a bit bigger than the North Georgia hills.

 

Way back in 2000 when I was taking driver’s ed, our driving school had these little 95 hp Honda civics. I’m a small guy and was even more so then (130 lbs at the time) and the girl in the back seat that was the other driving student was small too. But the driving instructor was almost 300 lb. it was our freeway driving day and he took me up a very short uphill entrance ramp onto the freeway. I was at about 45 mph on the service road and hit the pedal to get on the freeway. The car made noise but no acceleration. He told me to gain speed, so I floored it. 7500 RPM and still no acceleration until the ramp flattened out a bit. We merged at just over 45 mph.

To the OP - based largely on this experience for many years I was afraid to own anything but a V6 engine. Nowadays the 4 cyl cars are fine, and I’ve owned a corolla and now my gen 3 regular Prius and they both can get on the freeway without issue. But based on your story, I wouldn’t want to keep driving that car. The ability to merge safely is a requirement for me. But that’s just me. If I had to drive a car with the power you’re describing, I would probably find every way possible to avoid the freeway unless it was at a low traffic time.

 

still waiting for the clogged air filter check.

 

I didn't read the whole thread, but driving in this area can be challenging in car on the lower end of the power scale. I mean common sense says you don't stop on an uphill grade right at the end of the merge lane getting on to a freeway, but there they are traffic lights to limit the flow of traffic. Nothing ruins economy like going wide open throttle to merge in and then immediately slam on your brakes! lol.

 

patience, momentum and anticipation. and some serious fred flinstoning.

 

wow - that's usually NOT the safest way to go!! much better to get up to the speed of the traffic on the slip-road/on-ramp . Traffic on the highway should have priority, but may well speed up or slow down to help you enter the flow. I'm a driving instructor who see's many experienced drivers who struggle with this - and going faster may seem counter-intuitive, but it works, believe me!

Even the smallest car should be capable of getting up to at least 60 - and can always slow-down (if needed) much quicker than it can speed-up

BTW I suspect the Prius C / Yaris HSD is not quite as slow as it seems... I have a tiny Daihatsu Charade 1 litre car with an identical 0-60 to the Prius/Yaris. But it has such good throttle response, it FEELS much faster and is good fun to drive. By comparison, the Toyota feels much more relaxed. Its almost if it is a car withTurbo lag - there's an elastic band between your right foot and the throttle!

This is why I think that - here in Europe at least - the Yaris is fitted with disk brakes on all four wheels. BTW I don't think I have ever driven a car with better braking.

On the day I test-drove my car, I had also tested a Gen 3 Prius Liftback. I did an emergency stop on both cars. - both I and the salesman were quite shocked when I did it in the Yaris, as the deceleration was so very powerful! (more than the bigger car).

 

the people in the right lane have a responsibility to stay at or under the speed limit. that is the law here. my responsibility is to yield to that traffic as i merge.
if i merge at the speed limit, and the car bind me is going over the speed limit, they are responsible if they rear end me.
i don't see how driving faster and faster is making our highway's safer.

 

The point being, of course, to be doing the speed limit - or something close to it.. It's coming out 'slowly and carefully' that can so easily go wrong!

 

Where I have been licensed, that is no different than any other lane. Even though slow vehicles are supposed to stay right, the speed enforcement limit there is not any lower.

This depends on you merging safely, with sufficient space. If you merge in without legal following space behind, you are not off the hook. There is no legal obstacle to citing both vehicles.

Very much agree here.

 

agreed, and apologies for the misleading words!

 

agreed, and merging can be tricky on a busy highway at times, but coming to a stop at the end of the ramp can be disastrous.

 

The challenge lies when I drive in a new area with new highway ramps to learn about. I know each highway on-ramp where I live and take full advantage of the long entry lanes. The entry lanes are often going down hill (the exit lanes are often going up hill) and I've learned how to use gravity to my advantage.

 

We've got a couple of options, getting southbound onto the Second Narrows bridge (Iron Workers Memorial Bridge). The most direct way involves a very short merge area, a glorified pie wedge. Cars invariably come to a full stop here, it's basically suicide to even attempt to merge with flowing traffic, you either stop-and-wait for a good gap, or do a drag race start into a short gap. And pray...

We take the other route, affords two side by side lanes for about 1/3 km. I believe the whole mess is earmarked for complete overhaul, can't happen too soon.

Merging zones 1 and 2 respectively:

 

Except, if you are going slower and they overtake just enough for a fender to get inside on the lane... it's your fault for not merging properly. It is not the responsibility of the car in the right lane to "let" you in. That's a courtesy. Problem is that people are less and less courteous these days.

 

agreed, but how else to get on a packed highway? i'm not sure i understand the principle of the law?